SANS study of microstructural inhomogeneities on Al nano-powder compacts

The nano-crystalline materials have excellent mechanical and electrical properties compared to conventional materials. These advantages mainly come from their nano-sized grain structure. Usually the nano-crystalline materials are fabricated using nano powder. The optimum consolidation process is essential to obtain a fully densified structure. The quantitative characterization of remaining pores is important to study the consolidation process. SANS is the best technique to characterize the nano sized inhomogeneities in bulk samples. Al nano powder was synthesized by pulsed wire evaporation (PWE) method and the nano-powder compacts were fabricated by magnetic pulse compaction (MPC) method. The Aluminum oxide was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) at the surface of Al nano powder. The small angle neutron scattering experiments were performed both at the instrument V4 in HMI and at the SANS facility in Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI). The SANS data measured in KAERI were compared with the SANS data measured in HMI. The scattering intensity at high Q region increases with decreasing relative density, while the intensity at low Q region increases with increasing relative density in the Al nano powder compacts. The scattering intensity depends on the content of residual pores and Al oxide particles. The volume fraction of Al oxide particle increases with relative density due to the fragmentation of Al oxide layer. The extra scattering at low Q region results from the presence of Al oxide particles. (C) 2004 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.